Alex Hoppe throws very hard, with a good slider, but he struggles with his control. That sounds a little Matt Brash-esque, does it not?
Earlier this week, we had a chance to speak with new Seattle Mariners pitcher Alex Hoppe on the Refuse to Lose podcast, which you can listen to here.
Hoppe was acquired from the Boston Red Sox before the Thanksgiving holiday and he'll battle for one of the final spots in the major league bullpen during spring training.
He comes to the Mariners with an interesting pedigree: He's 26 years old and throws very hard, with a fastball that has touched 100-mph before. He has a solid slider and a good cutter, though he struggles with his command. He struck out 73 batters in 61.1 minor league innings in 2025, though he also walked 34 hitters.
You know who that sounds like to me? I discussed it on the podcast:
You know who Alex Hoppe reminded me of? The way he was talking? Was Matt Brash. When he says 'look, I throw hard. I'm never going to be a guy who is Greg Maddux, but that doesn't mean I can't pitch to the sides and I can't keep my slider down.' That sounds like Matt Brash to me. Right?
Matt Brash is a guy with imperfect control. He is a guy who has control, but he sometimes doesn't have command. That, to me, is what Alex Hoppe reminded me of. So if I'm pulling a parallel here for Alex Hoppe at the beginning of our tenure with him. Matt Brash is the comparison.
Brash in the minor leagues
Now, Brash got to the major leagues earlier in his career, first appearing in 2022 in his age 23-24 season, so it's understandable if he was a little more imperfect. But in 2022 at Triple-A Tacoma, he struck out 41 batters in 26.0 innings, while walking 14. In 97.1 innings in 2021, he struck out 142, while walking a whopping 48.
He's continued to be that kind of pitcher in the pros, and while the control can sometimes be frustrating to watch, he's been a dynamite reliever for the Mariners.
If Hoppe can turn into something similar, the Mariners may have a gem on their hands.
The bullpen picture
As long as everyone stays healthy heading into 2026, the M's bullpen has four spots clearly locked up with Andres Munoz, Brash, Eduard Bazardo and Gabe Speier. Carlos Vargas and another lefty figure to take two more, leaving Hoppe to battle with the likes of Jackson Kowar, Casey Legumina, Randy Dobnak and others. Of course, the M's can still sign someone else if they want.
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